2003 Audi A4 Speed Control & Cruise Problems

03 AUDI A4 6 SPEED AUTO CVT TRANSMISSION, THIS VEHICLE HAS KNOWN ISSUES WITH SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR TOO SOON. WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FROM A COMPLETE STOP ON AN ON RAMP ON RT 80 I HIT THE GAS AND IT WOULD SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND AND BACK TO FIRST THEN LURCH FORWARD WHILE ROLLING. WHILE THIS IS GOING ON I AM TRYING TO MERGE ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH PUT MY CAR INTO THE RIGHT LANE DOING ABOUT 2 MPH WITH TRAFFIC (WHICH WOULD BE A SAFE DISTANCE IF THIS ISSUE DIDN'T HAPPEN) HAVING TO COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP NOT TO HIT MY CAR. THIS IS AN KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND THERE IS NO RECALL ON THEM SINCE NEW. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE NUMEROUS TIME AS MANY OTHERS WITH THIS VEHICLE DOES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS FORUMS WITH CONSUMERS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME ISSUE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.

WHILE DRIVING TOSTORE VEHICLE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND WOULD NOT RETURN BACK TO POSITION. I APPLIED BRAKE VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER INTO PARKING LOT AND STOP ALTHOUGH ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV LIKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR . I PUTCAR IN PARK AND IT REDLINE THE TACH WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL ALMOST CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BLOW.VERY DANGEROUS .GLAD I WAS DRIVING INSTEAD OF MY WIFE.L BOUGHT THE CAR 2 MOS. AGO FROM CHECKERED FLAG VOLKSWAGEN USED CAR LOT AND THEY DON'T THINK THIS FALLS UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN SOMETHING THIS DANGEROUS , AND SEEING OTHER COMPLAINTS I'M GUESSING AUDI DOESN'T EITHER . AT LEAST UNTIL THE COST ANALYSIS OF DEATHS VS. REPAIR GETS A LITTLE CLOSER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE ENGINE RPMS CONTINUED TO RACE AS THE ENGINE ROARED LOUDLY. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND LATER RETURNED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLOOR MAT HAD BECOME LODGED UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING THE FAILURE. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

WHILE DRIVING FROM GA TO NC THE CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I COULD FEEL THE ACCELERATOR MOVE AWAY FROM MY FOOT AND I HAD PRESSED THE CLUTCH AND BREAK TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I NOTICED THE TACHOMETER WAS ABOVE 5000 RPM AND I TURN OFF THE CAR AND COASTED INTO A GAS STATION. I CHECKED THE FLOORMATS AND THE ACCELERATOR AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND CAUTIOUSLY CONTINUED MY TRIP. EVERYTHING SEEMED OKAY UNTIL I WAS CLOSE TO MY DESTINATION. THEN I EXPERIENCED THE SAME UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. AGAIN, THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE CAR WAS TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER IN NC AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO FAULTS AND THEREFORE NO PROBLEM. THEY SUSPECTED THE FLOORMATS. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE, THE APPROACHING LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, THEN RED, AND THE VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED, I APPLIED THE BREAK ON MY VEHICLE, I HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE OTHER VEHICLES, HOWEVER AS I AM APPLYING THE BREAK, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY, RPM WAS OVER 5000, THE BRAKES DID NOTHING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED EVEN MORE, I HAD NO CHOICE AND NOWHERE TO TURN OFF TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT, MY VEHICLE PLOWED INTO THE VEHICLE LOCATED IN FRONT OF ME ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS LUCKY THAT AT LEAST THERE WAS A CAR IN FRONT OF ME, IF MY CAR WAS THE FIRST ONE IN THE LINE, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IT AND COULD HAVE HIT THE PEDESTRIANS CROSSING THE ROAD. THIS IS THE WORST DEFECT IN A VEHICLE, AND A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, REMOVED FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL, BUT GAS PEDAL DID NOT COME UP AND CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. PRESSED ON BRAKES, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP CAR WITH JUST BRAKES. HAD TO USE HANDBRAKE AS WELL TO STOP CAR. TOOK TO DEALER AND WAITING ON DIAGNOSIS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 AUDI A4 ON THE MASS PIKE FREEWAY INTO BOSON, AS I APPROACHED A TOLL BOOTH, I TAPPED THE BREAK TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN SO THAT I PASSED THROUGH THE TOLL BOTH AT APPROXIMATELY 18 MPH. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE TOLL BOOTH, I AGAIN STARTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT ONCE TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL, IT SEEMED TO GO DOWN ON ITS OWN, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED, NOT UNDER MY CONTROL. I IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE ACCELERATION, BUT AS SOON AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKES, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 60 MPH, AT WHICH POINT I APPLIED THE BREAKS AGAIN. LUCKILY, TRAFFIC WAS MINIMAL, AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO KEEP THE CAR SPEED DOWN, AND AVOID OTHER VEHICLES WHILE THE BRAKES AND ACCELERATOR WORKED AGAINST EACH OTHER. INITIALLY, THERE WAS NOWHERE TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, BUT THEN AS I APPROACHED A SMALL PULLOUT, I MOVED THE CAR INTO THE OUTSIDE LANE AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I THOUGHT MAYBE THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD MALFUNCTIONED, AND BY TURNING OFF THE CAR, IT WOULD BE RESET. SO AFTER SETTING SEVERAL MINUTES, WITH THE CAR IN PARK, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVVED UP TO FULL SPEED, SO I AGAIN TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER SETTING ANOTHER 10 MINUTES, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, AND IT STARTED NORMALLY. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WITHOUT EXPERIENCING ANY ADDITIONAL ACCELERATION ISSUES. AUDI LOOKED AT THE CAR AND DETERMINED IT WAS A FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH THAT PREVENTED THE CRUISE CONTROL FROM DISENGAGING. HOWEVER, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ACTIVE WHEN THE UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION OCCURRED, AND THEIR OWN MECHANIC SAID THE FAULTY SWITCH WOULD NOT EXPLAIN THE FULL THROTTLE ENGINE START AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH BUT WILL TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION. BASED ON THE AUDI MECHANICS COMMENTS, I DO NOT FEEL THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. *TR

SUDDEN ACCELERATION. I WAS COMING BACK FROM THE STORE, AND TWICE I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR ON ITS OWN! I HIT THE BRAKE AND KEPT THE CAR FROM RUNNING AWAY WHILE I PULLED THE PEDAL UP WITH MY OTHER FOOT. WHEN I GOT BACK HOME, I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, GAVE IT A LITTLE GAS, AND IT WENT INTO FULL ACCELERATION. I COULD FEEL THE GAS PEDAL PULL AWAY FROM MY FOOT AND GO TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO TURN THE KEY OFF TO STOP IT. IT WAS NOT "FLOOR MATS" OR DRIVER ERROR. THE NEXT DAY, THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. I DROVE TO THE AUDI DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE GAS PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE FIXED. *TR

SUDDEN, UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF 2003 AUDI A4 WHILE IN 4TH GEAR. RPMS SPIKED AND REMAINED AT 7 AFTER FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR. EXPERIENCED LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING. WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SLOW AND STOP CAR VIA BRAKES. AFTER COMPLETELY SHUTTING CAR OFF AND REMOVING KEY, CAR WAS RESTARTED AND ENGINE REVVED UP TO 7 RPMS WITH ZERO ACCELERATION. OCCURRED ON QUEENSBOROUGH BRIDGE - POLICE WERE CALLED TO ASSIST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 AUDI A4. WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT 20 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION. AS A CONSEQUENCE SHE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT-END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 49,000.

MY 2003 AUDI A4 ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS HAS STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO HIGH SPEEDS ON IT'S OWN. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS PULLING OUT AND I PUSHED THE GAS AND IT JUST STARTED TO PICK UP SPEED I PULLED OVER AND THEN TRIED TO PULL OUT AGAIN AND IT STARTED AGAIN TO PICK UP SPEED I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND SO I TURNED IT OFF AND THEN IT WAS FINE. THE SECOND TIME I WAS PULLING OUT AND PUSHED THE GAS TO SPEED UP AND AGAIN IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE VERY FAST AND SO I PULLED OVER AGAIN AND THOUGHT I MUST OF HIT IT INTO SPEED CONTROL AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME WITH CRUISE CONTROL OFF IT STILL CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND IT WAS HARDER TO GET THE CAR TO STOP I HAD TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL REALLY HARD AND I THOUGHT IT WASN'T GOING TO STOP. THEN WHEN I DID GET IT TO A COMPLETE STOP I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV, AS IF I WERE PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A CRASH. IF IT WERE IN THE WINTER MONTHS I WOULD HAVE CRASHED, AND I HAD MY ONE YEAR OLD BOY WITH ME THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTENING FOR BOTH OF US. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 65 MPH, THE GAS PEDAL WOULD LIFT SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM MY FOOT (LIKE I JUST TURNED ON CRUISE CONTROL, BUT I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE CRUISE AT ALL) AND WHEN I LIFTED MY FOOT COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE PEDAL, IT WOULD STAY STEADY AT 65 MPH. I BRAKED TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN, AND THE CAR WOULD SLOW AS LONG AS MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, BUT ONCE I LET OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR WOULD MAINTAIN THE LOWERED SPEED. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND I FELT THAT I HAD LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE ACCELERATION/DECELERATION OF THE CAR. AT ONE POINT, I SLOWED THE CAR DOWN COMPLETELY TO A STOP AND HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE AND THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, THE RPM'S WERE STILL AROUND 2000. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND THE TACH REVVED UP TO BETWEEN 4500 - 5000 RPM, AS IF THE GAS HAD BEEN PUSHED. I TAPPED MY FOOT ON THE GAS A FEW TIMES LIGHTLY AND THE GAS PEDAL SEEMED TO COME UNSTUCK AND THE CAR WENT BACK TO IDLE RPM'S (<1000). I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL A FEW TIMES, THEN CAUTIOUSLY DROVE HOME. *TR

I ACCELERATED ON THE HIGHWAY TO PASS A VEHICLE AND TO TAKE THE UPCOMING HIGHWAY EXIT. THE ACCELERATOR APPEARED TO BE DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR AND WAS STUCK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL, AND I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES TO FINALLY SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. *AK

UNDER HARD ACCELERATION, THE THROTTLE ON MY 2003 AUDI A4 BECAME STUCK WIDE OPEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS. IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR, I NEEDED TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. I WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND THE THROTTLE SEEMS TO PERSISTENTLY STICK WHEN THE ENGINE REVS OVER 5000 RPM. I'M PLANNING ON TAKING THIS CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER TOMORROW TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED FURTHER. *JB

ON TWO OCCASIONS BETWEEN JANUARY 2006 AND MAY 2006, AFTER FULLY STEPPING ON AND SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR. I THEN QUICKLY PRESSED ON AND RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR THREE OR FOUR TIMES BEFORE THE THROTTLE FINALLY LET UP AND THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING. AFTER BOTH OCCASIONS, I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AND IT WAS SECURED TO THE FLOOR AND AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *JB

ON JULY 2, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 A.M., I WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO CHILDREN (AGES 7 AND 9) NORTH ON INTERSTATE 5 NEAR LAJOLLA, CA. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70-75 MILES PER HOUR. SUDDENLY, MY CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THINKING THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD ENGAGED, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE IT. ALTHOUGH MY CAR SLOWED A SMALL AMOUNT, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV HIGHER. I THEN TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE (FEARING THAT MY BRAKES WOULD WEAR OUT AND WERE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE IN ANY EVENT), AND THE CAR ACCLERATED AGAIN. I SUCCEEDED IN MOVING TOWARD THE SHOULDER, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND APPLIED THE BRAKE. WHILE THIS SUCCEEDED IN STOPPING THE CAR, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV UP AS I WAS STOPPED IN THE EMERGENCY LANE. WITH MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I USED MY RIGHT FOOT TO STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR IN AN EFFORT TO DISENGAGE IT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE, THE ACCELERATOR DISENGAGED, AND THE ENGINE REV'D DOWN. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I DROVE THE CAR HOME AT A SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER SPEED, AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT RECUR. ON TUESDAY, JULY 5, I CALLED MIRAMAR AUDI AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO BEN BOSWELL. HE ASKED ME WHEN AND WHERE THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE, AND WHETHER THERE WAS ANY CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA. HE EXPLAINED THAT AUDI NORTH AMERICA HAD INSTRUCTED HIM TO ASK THIS QUESTION, BECAUSE THEY HAD RECEIVED OTHER COMPLAINTS OF AUDI A4S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. (THERE WAS NO CONSTRUCTION). HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD 4 OR 5 A4S IN THE SHOP WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. MY CAR WAS AT MIRAMAR AUDI FROM JULY 5 UNTIL JULY 13. ON MONDAY, JULY 11, MR. BOSWELL TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD RUN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC ON MY CAR, AND COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HAD EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH AUDI NORTH AMERICA, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD TO RELEASE THE CAR TO ME. AFTER SEVERAL CONTACTS WITH AUDI NORTH AMERICA (WHICH I CAN PROVIDE IN DETAIL), I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY MY FLOORMAT BEING OUT OF POSITION.

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH DRIVER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT STUCK TO THE FLOOR. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 70 MPH. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE SPEED ACCELERATED TO 90 MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO STICK FOOT UNDERNEATH THE PEDAL AND LIFT IT UP, AND THEN PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. *AK *LA